Entries By dave hahn

Now it gets exciting—we are at 15,200 ft in Barafu (Ice) Camp.

The team had no trouble coming up from Karanga this morning. The clouds and murk of yesterday afternoon and evening were nowhere to be found by this morning. We came up in calm and sunny conditions, with unlimited views of the big volcano we’ve been spiraling in toward. We reached high camp in the late morning and spent our time eating, resting, and preparing to climb. Clouds came over again in the afternoon, but they’ve cleared away again this evening, just as we’ve all tucked in for an early (6:30 PM) bedtime. Before too long, we’ll be going high.

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

PC: Dave Hahn

It was a day without sun.  Mostly.  We had it for a few minutes this morning as we walked to the base of the Great Barranco Wall. But then we were swallowed in cloud and mist just as we started to get serious on the wall.  Perhaps that helped those of us with a fear of heights to concentrate solely on the rock and the path ahead.  Our guides, Freddy, Naiman, and Thomas kept us moving well and guarded us on the tricky steps.  We’d prepared for traffic jams on this normally busy section of the route, but there were none.  We cruised the wall in just over an hour’s time -about half of what it might have taken with normal traffic.  Our amazing dining tent “waiters”, Hamedi and Shwahibu, had scaled the wall even faster and had tea and snacks out within moments of our arrival at the 14,000 ft “summit”. Although we had no view whatsoever from this normally stunning viewpoint, we lingered for forty five minutes anyway, enjoying the snacks and the swirling mists. The remaining hours to camp were easy by comparison. We took the time to review efficient hill-climbing techniques on our way up the final steep path into Karanga Camp at 13,200 ft. Now, in early evening, we’ve yet to see the place. The visibility is perhaps 100 ft although the weather is not unpleasant. Just a little static. 

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

PC: Dave Hahn

We broke a bunch of personal altitude records today.  The team stood at 15,200 ft by the Lava Tower and didn’t seem much worse for the wear.  In fact we had a picnic lunch up there before dropping down below the stunning and immense south face of Kilimanjaro to descend to Barranco Camp at 13,000 ft.  We took seven hours from Shira Camp (including the picnic) which is just what we were aiming for.  The team enjoyed walking through the Giant Senecios and Lobelia plants that guard the approaches to Barranco.  It was breezy in camp as we rested and recuperated.  We ate another of Chef Tosha’s excellent dinners and told each other mountain ghost stories to finish the day. 

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

PC: Dave Hahn

Shira Camp!
We made it up to 12,400 ft and reached our westernmost camp. Actually, we climbed even a little higher before dropping down to finish the day. We left the big trees behind and ascended steeply through Giant Heather, eventually passing our first senecios and lobelias. We were above a sea of clouds—and sometimes below an upper deck of clouds as well. Conditions were pleasant: not too hot, not too cold, and not too windy.

Today, we got our hands on the rock in a few places. It was great to spice things up with the short rock steps we needed to traverse and scale. But ultimately, the best part of the day was finishing the climb and turning the corner at the edge of the Shira Plateau.

We had an easy afternoon in our new camp—eating, drinking, resting, and watching the sun set.

—RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

We’ve begun!! After so much anticipation and travel and preparation, today we finally started walking. Getting from Rivertrees to the Machame Gate of the National Park all went smoothly, as did the final steps of getting permitted for the climb. We began walking at 11 AM, following Freddy, one of our local guides, through cloud and light mist. The day was spent winding through big trees, at first in a rain forest. Over the course of six hours the trees got smaller and things got drier as we eventually climbed through the clouds into sunshine. At 10,000 ft we strolled into a perfectly constructed camp and moved right in. We even got a brief view of Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s central peak, just before the sun went down and the full moon rose. Our team was excited to sit down to a great dinner and then just as excited to hit the sleeping bags--folks are still feeling the jet lag of shifting all those time zones in short order. But somehow it is better to be feeling it in a camp under the stars, partway up a beautiful mountain. 

Best,

Dave Hahn

It wasn’t easy, but we got our Kilimanjaro climbing team together in Usariver, Tanzania. Today was meant to be an easy day of gear sorting and packing at the comfortable and quiet Rivertrees Inn—under the watchful eyes of curious monkeys. But with flight delays and reroutes, some of our team just barely made it into town in time for the climb—and predictably, the airlines lost their luggage. So it was a bit of a scramble—greatly aided by our Arusha-based outfitter, Barking Zebra—to come up with the required equipment on short notice. We think we’ve got it.

Dinner—our first face-to-face meeting for the complete team—was pleasant and relaxed despite the gear deficit. The hotel staff surprised Lisa, and all of us, by recognizing her birthday with a beautiful cake. Things are coming together, and we’re excited to get on the highest mountain in Africa tomorrow morning.

Best regards,
Dave

The Four Day Climb July 28 - 31 led by RMI Guide Dave Hahn reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  The teams enjoyed a perfect day on the mountain with clear skies and light winds.  They enjoyed a bit of time in the summit crater before starting their descent around 7am.  The teams will work their way back to Camp Muir, take a short break to repack and then continue the final 4,500' to Paradise.  They will conclude their program this afternoon with a celebration of their adventure this afternoon.

Congratulations team!

PC: Dave Hahn

At 5:45 am this morning, the Four Day Climb led by Dave Hahn and team successfully reached the summit of Mount Rainier. The climbers were greeted by clear skies and a stunning sunrise, making for a truly memorable moment at 14,410 feet.

The team reported encountering some wind while ascending the Disappointment Cleaver, but conditions improved as they neared the summit. By the time they reached the top, the winds had calmed, allowing for a peaceful and awe-inspiring views.

Currently, the team is on their descent, working their way back to Camp Muir. Congratulations to Dave Hahn and the entire team on a safe and successful summit!

Early this morning, the Four Day Climb teams, led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Dominic Cifelli, successfully reached the summit of Mt. Rainier!

They were treated to a stunning sunrise and clear skies as they stood at 14,410 feet, taking time to celebrate their achievement and soak in the incredible views. After savoring their moment at the top, the teams began their descent to Camp Muir around 7:00 a.m. and are now continuing down to Paradise.

We look forward to welcoming them back in Ashford later this afternoon and celebrating a safe and successful climb!

Congratulations climbers!

Friday, July 4, 2025 - 1:33 AM PT

After we got in the tents at 11k last night, there was a violent thunderstorm passing over with inches of hailstones. We awoke at 2:00 AM to fire the stoves, choke down some oatmeal and get ready for a big day. It was party cloudy but mostly clear, which led to easy  walking conditions. We were walking by 4:00 AM and and fairly soon, we’d reached the upper regions of Ski Hill and then our old camp at 8k. It only took us a further three hours to reach base camp. For late season, conditions were amazing. We never had to cross an open crevasse. We stayed busy at base camp sorting our own gear and helping others to load planes. Our flights came in around 1:00 PM and then we were headed to Talkeetna. Our team had donated pizzas in their mouths within 5 minutes of landing in Talkeetna. K2 Aviation did an excellent job bringing us home. In checking out with the National Park Service, we learned that we had been the absolute last team on the mountain and that the success rate for the season had only been 36%.

We sorted gear for the afternoon and then celebrated with a dinner at the brew pub. We celebrated a safe and enjoyable climb that didn’t reach the summit. That seemed appropriate given how much we enjoyed the effort of simply trying to get up the mountain.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn and Team   

PC: Dave Hahn